1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle control device, which is configured to support an operation of a driver so as to increase an electric power regeneration amount in a vehicle capable of generating a braking force by recovering electric power to an in-vehicle battery.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, as proposed in International Patent WO2012/053106A1, there is known a drive support device, which is configured to set a target stop position for a vehicle and to issue an instruction to release an accelerator pedal so that the vehicle stops at the target stop position. Moreover, as proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2015-19521, there is known a vehicle including a regenerative generator, which is configured to set such a deceleration start position as to increase an electric power regeneration amount to be recovered to a battery during deceleration travel up to a target stop position and to decelerate the vehicle at a high deceleration so that a driver can carry out an ecological drive.
There is an upper limit for a charge current that can be supplied to a battery, and hence, on the vehicle including the regenerative generator, a braking force that can be generated by the electric power regeneration is also limited. Upon an emergency braking operation, a required braking force temporarily exceeds the braking force that can be generated by the electric power regeneration, and hence an insufficient amount in the braking force is compensated by a hydraulic friction braking. Thus, a rotational energy of the wheels cannot be used effectively. Therefore, for the ecological drive, it is important not to carry out the emergency braking operation.
In the vehicle proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2015-19521, when the vehicle approaches the target stop position, the vehicle speed has already substantially decreased, and hence the driver does not need to depress a brake pedal hard before the target stop position. Thus, the emergency braking operation by the driver can be suppressed, and the power can thus be efficiently recovered to the battery, resulting in an increase in fuel consumption performance. The control of increasing the deceleration when the vehicle is decelerating up to the target stop position (increasing the regenerative braking force), thereby increasing the regenerative electric energy in this way, is referred to as regeneration enhancement control.
Incidentally, there is known a vehicle, in which a vehicle stability control device is installed. As vehicle stability control carried out by the vehicle stability control device, there are known, for example, antilock brake control of suppressing locks of wheels during the braking to secure stability of a vehicle, vehicle travel stability control of suppressing a skid during turn travel of a vehicle to secure the stability of the vehicle, and traction control of suppressing slips of drive wheels during start and acceleration to secure the stability of the vehicle.
However, while the regeneration enhancement control is being carried out, the vehicle stability control by the vehicle stability control device may be carried out. Moreover, while the vehicle stability control is being carried out, the regeneration enhancement control may be carried out. When the regeneration enhancement control and the vehicle stability control are simultaneously carried out in this way, the regeneration enhancement control may interfere with the vehicle stability control, and the vehicle stability control may not thus be carried out appropriately.